History Of The US Dating Scene

Dating as we know it in the US can actually be traced all the way back to the 1700 and 1800s. Men and women (mainly, especially in the open) would find an attraction to one another, and would then engage in what was known at the time as a "courtship". A man would approach the father of the woman he's interested in pursuing, and ask for permission to court his daughter. If the father said yes, then it was a go! The woman had little say at this time, so hopefully the man was up to par! Courtships were primarily geared toward the ultimate goal of marriage, but that expectation has waned over the course of time. Traditionally, the meaning behind entering a courtship would signify others that this couple were serious about each other, and would no longer be dating other partners. It was the Victorian era equivalent of updating your relationship status on Facebook. When a couple was courting, they wouldn't be seen out in public too much, as it was a seen as a private affair, so there were no real date ideas to speak of early on. You could find courting couples at one of their family homes eating a nice meal, on an evening stroll (one of the rarer public outings), or relaxing together on a front porch or in the yard. It was more about spending time together and getting to know one another then it was about trying to impress. The only person that a man needed to impress in those times was the woman's father, so all the lady had to do was spend time with her to-be-betrothed and learn what he likes. Thankfully, this kind of dating attitude is in the past.

There are, of course, places in the US where traditional courtships do happen, but that's more of a rarity nowadays. Mostly people who have religious beliefs in dating leadings to marriage, and similar situations, are the people who partake in the historical meaning of a courtship, but roughly 80% of people in the US date more casually. Around the 1920s is when the tradition of having a man "call on" a woman was being pushed out of style by the new attitudes about women and dating in general. Women were becoming more independent, so they had the final say in who they went out with, and what they did. Women were starting to attend university, so it became "the dating game", as they say, where men had to fight for the attention of the desirable and intelligent ladies. The US date ideas and activities we know now can be seen starting to get popular around the 1920s and 30s, with the advent of entertainment culture and going out for fun.